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Description

The book, "A Tonally Well-Organized Society or Anarchy? Aesthetical and Social Aspects on Swedish Art Music 1945–1960", is a study of the intellectual history of Swedish art music which focuses on discourses and debates between 1945 and 1960, and analyzes the relationship between collectivism and tonality on one hand, and individualism and atonality on the other. ”The Tonally Well-Organized Society” implies that it is traditional art music which is ”modern”, rather than the atonal modernistic music. Arvidson breaks with a specific music historical narrative, i.e. it breaks with the traditional chronological-historical narrative, and focus instead on historical contingencies (a discourse-centered narrative) in order to uncover aspects of Swedish art music history that otherwise wouldn't be possible. The book is the first one to get a grip on a rather infected period on Swedish art music due to the fact that certain musicologist that previously has written on the subject matter shared some non unchallenged values and views with some actors (composers) in that same period. The book is well written and is a must for those interesting not only in Swedish art music, but also in subject matters regarding historical narrativity.

Description

A Tonally Well-Organized Society or Anarchy? Aesthetical and Social Aspects on Swedish Art Music 1945–1960 The period between 1945 and 1960 is in many ways interesting. It is a period in Sweden, which is characterized by modernity. It is also an interesting period in Swedish musical life concerning art music. Modern music (i.e., atonal and twelve-tone music) has always faced a resistance, which has come from the public, the academics, social prejudices, or the critics. During the 1940s and 50s, modern music is an object for debates and discussions of different kinds. The subject matter varies from the music’s societal purpose, the composers’ moral responsibility and the critics’ inability to judge modern music, to the music’s dehumanization. It is, however, not only modern music that meets with resistance; music of a more traditional kind (i.e., tonal music) is also an object of debates, discussions, and resistance. This thesis is a study of the intellectual history of Swedish art music which focuses on discourses and debates. The study concerns aesthetic and social trends, which exist in a coherent discourse. The intellectual historical perspective means that I am searching for the specific places of ideas in history. The ideas, which emerge in the debates, are thereby put in relation to more general current trends that deal with modernity. The purpose of the study is thus to describe and analyse some of the central ideas which certain actors expressed (composers and critics), and thereby give insight in, and knowledge of, an important period (1945–1960) in Swedish musical life. The central theme of this study is art music as a part of the concept of modernity. The zeitgeist of the period 1945–1960 is characterized in terms of an enlightenment thought, where arts, sciences, and politics are intertwined. Depending on what kind of social function music is considered to have, it seems that the most progressive music, i.e., radical music, is not consistent with the concept of modernity: radical music does not encourage solidarity, but fragmentation. Rather, it is traditional tonal music, which is politically progressive. Therefore modernity and modernism do not go hand in hand. Keywords: Swedish Art Music, Swedish Music History, Intellectual History, Historiography, Debates, Discourse, Monday Group, 1945–1960, Chamber Music Association Fylkingen, Chamber Music Association Samtida Musik, Klas-Thure (Claude Loyolla) Allgén, Ingmar Bengtsson, Karl-Birger Blomdahl, Sven-Erik Bäck, Jan Carlstedt, Hans Eklund, Yngve Flyckt, Sven-Eric Johanson, Maurice Karkoff, Hans Leygraf, Ingvar Lidholm, Bo Linde, Quentin Skinner, Alf Thoor, Bo Wallner

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